U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Quito, Ecuador, on Thursday.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Qatar’s Prime Minister Friday ahead of a visit to Israel this weekend, showing how the Trump administration is trying to balance relations between key Middle East allies days after Israel targeted Hamas leaders in a strike on Doha .

Despite tensions between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , Rubio will arrive in Israel on Sunday for a two-day visit. It is a show of support for the increasingly isolated country before the United Nations holds likely contentious debate on the creation of a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu opposes.

Rubio and Vice-President JD Vance met Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the White House. Later Frida

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